


Free Jokes

by syari



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - College/University, First Meetings, Improv, M/M, Marauders, Pick-Up Lines
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-15
Updated: 2017-04-15
Packaged: 2018-10-19 03:59:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 790
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10631724
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/syari/pseuds/syari
Summary: Joining his school's improv team might be the best thing that ever happened to Sirius Black. Of course, that was before he met Remus Lupin.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by my school's improv team-- thanks for the free jokes, guys.

"Free jokes!"

Half the improv team was stationed in various stages of repose on and around a table in front of the campus' student union. They had a show this coming Saturday that they were trying to advertise for, and it had been James who suggested that they trade jokes for flyers to showcase their skills and draw crowd interest. Sirius had to admit, for someone who had moaned and whined so pathetically when Sirius had dragged him and Peter to their first improv session, he really had taken to the idea. Sirius strongly suspected the powerful influence of one Lily Evans, who was seated right next to James, likely to her regret and his equal delight as he attempted to woo her through terrible puns.

A group of what looked like rugby players walked by their table then stopped, snared by the call of "Free jokes to members of an organized team!" Similarly caught were the girls giggling over Peter's bashful smile ("Free jokes if you've ever shattered an iPhone screen!") and the nervous freshman ("Free jokes if chemistry textbooks haunt your nightmares!").

Sirius was drumming his fingers on the table absentmindedly and formulating ideas for jokes in his head. Scanning the constantly moving crowd for a target, his eye was caught by a sight that nearly took his breath away. A boy about Sirius' age (though much taller if as much could be guessed over the distance) was eyeing their booth as if in contemplation. Much more unusual than the attention given to their group was the teen's utter adorableness, with curls peeking out from under a beanie and a sweater pulled over his fingertips, and a smile only enhanced by a slight overbite. Summoning all his earthly courage, Sirius made eye contact with the mortal god and called, "Free jokes if you're drop-dead gorgeous!"

The table fell silent at the call, and Sirius could just see in his periphery his teammates turning in to watch the action unfold. James nudged his side as the boy jerked, then ambled over towards their table with a small smile growing on his lips, his eyes firmly locked on Sirius'.  
Sirius' heart thudded painfully as the beautiful boy approached, blinking behind those ridiculous thick-framed hipster glasses that were somehow not entirely absurd on such a perfect face. 

"Are you talking to me?"

It was completely unfair, in Sirius' opinion, for someone to look so incredible and also have such a lovely raspy voice. Grinning, he managed, "Who else?"

The scruffy teen just shook his head and leaned in, so close Sirius could see the sun glint in his unusual amber eyes. "What's the joke, then?"

Summoning his biggest shit-eating grin, Sirius proclaimed, "Why, the joke is that we're not dating yet, of course!"

The table erupted in groans with a loud "Really, Padfoot?" from James followed by a swift shushing from Lily, who was watching the boy eagerly.

The same boy who froze for a second, staring right into Sirius' eyes long enough to cause him to wonder if he'd made a terrible miscalculation-- then threw back his head and _laughed._

Sirius had never heard a more beautiful sound in his life.

Grinning, the boy swiped one of the pens off the club table and gestured towards Sirius' arm. Heart thumping double time, Sirius extended it towards him only to have the boy grasp his wrist and turn it out towards him. Holding the pen cap in his mouth in a ridiculously hot and unsanitary fashion, the boy scrawled something with a quick flourish, but Sirius could swear he felt every stroke of ink burnt into his skin. With a wink, the boy released his arm, recapped the pen and tossed it carelessly onto the table, swiping a flyer while Sirius sat in a daze staring at the digits on his arm below a name pressed in cheap blue ink.

When his voice returned to him, he croaked, "Here, what kind of a name is Remus, anyway?"

Remus stared at him, a single eyebrow raising lazily towards the curls on his brow. His eyes flicked pointedly down to Sirius' nametag, then drawled, "Seriously?"

The table once more erupted, this time in laughter (although if James had asked Sirius he would have told him uncharitably that he sounded more like a dying donkey). Sirius sniffed and raised his nose in a dignified manner, ignoring the braying of the heathen at his side. He crooked a smile at Remus, who nodded in return and hefted his books back to his side, sauntering off.

"Well _done_ , Pads," James murmured, and Peter punched his shoulder in congratulations, but Sirius only had eyes for the beautiful scrawl adorning his arm. He might just get it tattooed.


End file.
